


Stand On Edge

by parktaejoon



Series: Tail [1]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Minor Wattson | Natalie Paquette/Wraith | Renee Blasey, Parental Caustic | Alexander Nox, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, caustic being a huge nerd, the dropship is like a home for all the legends in this sorry its completely inaccurate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29975904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parktaejoon/pseuds/parktaejoon
Summary: “Caustic,” He mutters, the only greeting he sees fit for the man he doesn’t know whether to call an ally or a target.“Salvonian.” Is shot back at him, and Walter gives a small tut to that.“You know, by now I’d assume we’d be on a name basis, yeah?” He looks over to Caustic as he rounds the island and joins Walter at the counter, beginning to brew a pot of coffee. A grimace is on his face as he puts the k-cup into the machine.“I do not owe you anything.”-or, Fuse lies awake with a headache, and somehow finds himself in the kitchen chatting with Caustic. It ends up going better than he expected.
Relationships: Caustic | Alexander Nox/Fuse | Walter Fitzroy
Series: Tail [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2204856
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	Stand On Edge

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this series is the fruits of my labour and hopefully you enjoy it just as much as i enjoyed writing it. playing apex in season 8 has been loads of fun- i ended up loving fuse and his dynamic with caustic. not gonna lie, this season made me love caustic a lot more than i expected. so, here! please leave any comments or critique!! 
> 
> this entire series was written kinda with 'tail' by sunmi in mind, and each part will be named after lyrics from said song ^_^ this is unbetaed but hopefully i will b able to get a beta in the future!!

The match earlier had taken nearly everything out of him. It really hadn’t gone well. He’d been paired with people he likes, (not that he particularly dislikes anyone yet- he’s rather popular among the legends) and they did okay, but he had a blaring headache that would just not leave him. The atmosphere is fine and everything, but what happened in the match had been playing in his mind over and over again. He was with Bloodhound and Mirage, two people he’s grown close with over the time he’s been in the games. It’s only been a month, but he’s made some friends. His room is next to Mirage’s anyhow, so they pass by eachother quite often. 

Rain is hitting the windows softly, a glow cast in his room from the lamp in the corner. He hasn’t been able to get much sleep, overthinking way too much. It was one of his worst flaws- but he kept it in his head, knowing he’d come off as weak if he showed anything but confidence. That was something he learned in the cage. Keep weakness in, exude prowess. How he won 21 matches in a row. He’s at least comfortable, not having all those bombs and Wally tied to his back. He has a white tank top on, his necklace and plaid pajama pants, rolling over in bed to try and ease his headache. His hair is down, which is annoying, because he does prefer to have it gelled up and out of his face. 

The game earlier that day was hard, for him especially. They came in fourth, not all that bad, but that wasn’t what made him feel like this. He’d been knocked as soon as they dropped by Gibraltar, and it was embarrassing having Mirage pick him up that early on. He got knocked another two times, and they died because he made the stupid choice to recharge his shields in the middle of enemy fire. He walked into his own knuckle cluster, shot one of Mirage’s decoys like an idiot, and fired the motherlode inside a building, almost downing himself a third time. Getting used to the games was near impossible. He’d never be used to the rush to get guns, being out of shield cells, fighting to the victory. It was similar to the Bonecage, but still so different. Now, he had allies he could trust, and not a warlord controlling his every move like Maggie. And then, best of all, he got finished off by the guy he has a crush on. Caustic went on the win that game, and it was good for him, but it was just another addition to Walter’s headache. 

Walter swings his legs over the side of the bed, needing fresh air. Well, he couldn’t really get fresh air as the deck of the airship got closed at night, but he could at least go for a walk. He leaves his arm on his side table, deciding he wouldn’t need it just for a quick trip to the kitchen. The dropship is silent, well, virtually silent, save for Octavio playing his gauntlet game a couple rooms away. He isn’t being that disruptive, his voice only being a hushed whisper only audible a few steps away, but it's still definitely there. He winds down the hallway to the central common room, and then the kitchen to his left. Renee and Natalie are off in the corner of the common room, chattering to themselves. Renee gives him a small smile, and he returns the greeting with an ‘Aye, pups.’ before entering the kitchen in his lonesome. He’s rather glad no one’s here, well, save for the two ladies just a few metres away in the other room, he’s alone. He gets a glass of water, drinking it down faster than he expected. There’s something about cold water in the middle of the night that’s just so fulfilling. He knows they don't keep meds readily available in the kitchen, so he’ll just have to deal with the headache for now.

He keeps the lights off in the kitchen, to save himself from even worse pain. 

His head whips around as the door opens, a larger figure obstructing the light pouring in from the common room. He can tell immediately who it is, looking back towards the counter and leaning forward against it. 

“Caustic,” He mutters, the only greeting he sees fit for the man he doesn’t know whether to call an ally or a target. 

“Salvonian.” Is shot back at him, and Walter gives a small tut to that. 

“You know, by now I’d assume we’d be on a name basis, yeah?” He looks over to Caustic as he rounds the island and joins Walter at the counter, beginning to brew a pot of coffee. A grimace is on his face as he puts the k-cup into the machine. 

“I do not owe you anything.” This fucking bastard. Fuse lets out a laugh- this is almost hard to believe. Caustic is undeterred, almost coming off like a statue. He seems to have no emotion, despite being despondent deep down. In truth, he really did feel bad for what he did to Fuse earlier that day. 

“Yeah nah, I think after that stunt today, ya do owe me something.” Walter’s voice is slightly raised, and he can tell he’s shocked the younger man slightly, by the way he pauses when he goes to grab a mug.

“The way your tone has shifted makes me believe you’re angry.” His headache has turned into a migraine. 

“You’re a bloody-fuckin’-genius doc. Wow. What a discovery. It’s almost like there’s smoke pourin’ out me fuckin’ ears like I’m in a damn cartoon. You’re right visually impaired, or something?” Walter goes to leave, but is stopped by Caustic’s hand reaching for his arm. But, of course, there isn’t one, and he’s met with an awkward silence. 

Walter stands there for a second, before looking him up and down incredulously. “I know you did not just reach for my-..” He has to hold back a laugh, as Caustic turns around and mutters something under his breath. He’s embarrassed. It’s almost cute. 

“You know, I thought you were a right cunt when I met you. Devoted to the craft, got a nice arse. Could’ve called ye an ally if you were the least bit friendly, though.” He says, making Caustic turn back around to him. 

“For the sake of this conversation, I will ignore your comment about my backside. I apologize for my behaviour. I have been the least bit welcoming,” He rakes in a deep breath, the inhale echoing through his gas mask. “You are a new competitor, though, You should not expect me to be kind when we are on enemy teams, despite being friendly elsewhere.” Caustic says, and Walter raises an eyebrow at this. The last thing he expected was a genuine apology. Maybe he could be nice, for once. He could tell his apology was purely genuine, though. He knows that signature Caustic snark- none apparent in his apology. It was relieving. 

“I’m just busting yer balls, don’t think too hard on it, yeah?” Fuse pats him on his chest, which leaves the other with a stunned look on his face. Curse Walter for being extroverted, right? 

This confuses him. And Caustic isn’t one to get confused. The very feeling of becoming allies with someone is so unknown to him. It had only happened once before with Wattson, and never again. He already fucked that up. And maybe, if he can conduct enough research on Walter, he can become an ally of similar calibre. Something like old friends. He’d kill to have someone he can trust. To have someone he could be his true self with. But to everyone, he’s just Mikhail Caustic, mad scientist, and completely unrelated to Alexander Nox. There’s brief silence, before Caustic speaks once more. Fuse is not one to leave the conversation alone for a while anyhow. 

“What is your fascination with me?” He pauses, very obviously thinking. “You are friends with many of the other competitors, yet you choose to be the most kind to me. Why is that? Have you not been told about my wrongdoings? From Ms. Paquette, or the one down the hall with prosthetic legs?” Fuse gives a chuckle, leaning against the counter with his arm. 

“First off, his name’s Octavio. Second, I think you’re interesting. Yeah, I know what you did, but it ain’t dispel me from getting to know ye better. I think everyone needs a chance, at least. We all muck up from time to time. Just need a chance to better ourselves.” He says, which makes Caustic’s face crinkle up. Something he said wasn’t taken correctly. “And plus, I like you.” 

“You’re odd, Fitzroy.” Says Caustic, rounding the island once more to sit down. The coffee machine is almost done making a full pot. Fuse goes to reach for a black mug in the cupboard, before Caustic hums to get his attention. 

He turns to face Caustic, raising an eyebrow.

“I prefer to use the same mug every time. Is it the white one with the formula for dichlorodiethyl sulfide.” He asks, and Walter hesitates before picking up the only mug in the cupboard with a chemical formula on it. It was campy, sure, but oddly in character. He fills it with coffee, before hesitating to reach for the milk in the fridge. 

“You doctor yer coffee or do you take it black.. like y’ soul?” Walter quips, waiting by the fridge. This gets a small snicker out of Caustic, and he shakes his head. 

“You seem to find humour out of every situation, hmm?” There was a tone in Caustic’s voice that was not unfamiliar to Fuse- yet he hadn’t heard it for a while. 

“It’s what I do best.” He agrees with a cheeky grin- still waiting on Caustic’s request for his coffee. They stare at eachother before he finally realizes. Caustic menatally hits himself for that. How embarassing. 

“One milk, one sugar, please.” And so he does, mixing it well and tapping the spoon off on the side of the ceramic, then passing it off to him. There was something oddly domestic about it, and Walter wasn’t complaining. It’s something he hasn’t done for anyone in a long while, especially since he stood up to Maggie and left. Fuse makes his own cup, shrugging it off and agreeing that he’d be up all night without it anyways. Later on, he’ll have to go bother Ajay for a couple of pain meds. His headache had subsided slightly, but he’d still rather have the overhead lights off. Caustic removes his gas mask and sets it down on the table, running a hand over his mustache and beard to straighten it out before taking a sip. 

Fuse joins Caustic at the island, leaning on the opposite side of it and placing his mug down onto the countertop. 

“May I prompt you with a question?” Caustic asks, to which Walter nods. 

“What is your opinion of the other legends?” He asks, and Fuse is a bit confused. “Simply to further my understanding of you. Not because I am curious.” Well, maybe it was because he was curious. What Fuse is mostly confused about is why he’s being so friendly. It’s odd. He knows that Caustic is not the most personable legend, so having this conversation one on one with him feels almost unnerving. But, Walter isn’t one to pass up on a late night chat, so he’ll stay and chase Caustic’s tail for a while longer. 

He hums, thinking aloud. “Mirage is a good guy. Bit of a drongo, but he’s got good intentions. Couldn’t be buggered to help him out, though. He needs psych, or something. Speech therapy?” He’s only met with a nod. “Er.. that Crypto kid. A right dag, that one.” Fuse sips his coffee. 

“How do you feel about Dr. Somers?” prompts Caustic, which makes Fuse think hard. “She's.. nice. She’s kind. Thought she was more around our age when I met her. Incredibly smart. I respect her a lot, deffo.” he adjusts his stance, inhaling sharply. “Why ask, though? You interested in her?”

“Not in the slightest. But as a doctor in a similar field, I have the utmost respect for her dedication. She is, in my professional opinion, the most qualified competitor. Her knowledge of astrophysics is unmatched.” Caustic sounds almost… like he idolizes her. Walter can only meet him with a nod and a small smile, trying his best to understand his point of view. It’s not like he’s a doctor. He dropped out of school way too early, and it’s not like the Bonecage helped his education at all either.

“..I do hope she finds her son, as well.” He finishes with a sigh, his gaze directed downwards. Walter leans forward, now fully interested in the conversation.

“That sounded awfully parental, mate. Y’got something you wanna tell me?” He says, hoping to get some backstory to this mystery of a man. Even if he doesn’t want to share, even just an insight to his life would provide Fuse with a better understanding of him.

Caustic lets out a sigh, his grip tightening on the handle of his mug. Should he really open up now? It’s true that Walter has been talking to him like they’re friends, but can he truly trust him? He ponders momentarily before he speaks. Caustic decides to run a couple more experiments on him to see how he reacts, but for now, he will answer Walter’s question. 

“I formerly viewed Ms. Paquette as a daughter figure. I cared for her very much. As her father had passed away, it was very much obvious she began to view me as.. a paternal figure.” He rakes in a deep breath. “But, as you know, I broke her trust. I was ‘the mole’, as everyone called it. It was a stupid decision and a lapse in my judgement. I hope you do not view me any different.” He’s somber, and Fuse almost feels bad for him. 

Fuse shakes his head, giving him a warm smile. “Nah, mate, like I said before. We all deserve a chance. I’ve seen traitors head on back on Salvo. You can’t be as bad as them.” His heart almost feels warm at this, as if it hadn’t been frozen for 2 decades because of his work in the labs. Hell, he’s lost two fingers, but a Salvonian being nice to him is all it takes for him to begin to trust again? You’re getting soft, Nox. He wishes he could go back to his area of the dropship. There are countless microorganisms waiting for him. Experiments to be had. But something about spending time with Fuse felt more worthwhile. 

After all, scientists must experiment, every once and a while.

They both finish their drinks, and Fuse gathers them to put in the sink. They’ll leave the dishes to Ramya later. Caustic puts his mask back on. 

“..Mary’s too young for ya anyways, mm?” He asks, and Caustic nods. 

“Precisely. I believe that if she was closer to our age I would’ve felt something for her romantically.” Okay, the conversation’s gone south. It’s awkward now. Caustic clears his throat to try and alleviate the tension, but it seems to make it worse. 

“I must get back to my research. Thank you for answering my questions.” Is all that Caustic says, Fuse’s face dropping almost immediately. Caustic begins to leave, Fuse rushing to his side and putting his hand onto his shoulder. Caustic looks down to it momentarily, blinking in rapid succession. Fuse lets his hand linger there longer than he meant to, Caustic tugging himself away from his touch before it got even weirder. 

“Aye- whatddya mean? We’re just starting to have fun?” He says, shrugging the best he can with one arm. “How ‘bout you let me come and watch, huh? I’ll zip my lips and you won’t hear a peep outta me. Just let me watch, yeah? You can ask me any more questions you want.” Caustic makes a noise that’s almost similar to a groan, and he presses his fingers into his palm, almost as if Fuse was like a headache to him.

“Fine. You may accompany me.”

Caustic looks back to him. He raises an eyebrow. 

“Can we.. uh.. go and get my arm, first?”

“Yes. We can get your arm.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank u a lot for reading!! comments and kudos are a writers best friend!!


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